The Frenntolic Rebellion
"Besides the force it has to fright The spirits of the shady night, The same arts that did gain A power, must it maintain." - North and South, Bard of Friy. The Frenntolic Rebellion, also known as the Great Strife or Cyroth's War, was a conflict which occurred in 734KF between the Kymurian Empire and the Frenntolic Confederation. It lasted for 3 years (734-737KF) and claimed the lives of around 1.2 million soldiers and civilians. With an estimated 1,200,000 deaths, the war was the deadliest and bloodiest in Panguillan history. It particularly devastated the northern regions, which suffered catastrophic losses in population – with some rural regions losing almost 60% of their adult male population, according to some counts. The war began in the summer of 734KF, when, in response to the crowning of Cyroth An-Bagranthar, a minor noble from the Ubrus Isles as King of Kymuria, plus a list of other grievances, the powerful northern nobility, led by Lord Ranault Frenntolic, went into rebellion and marched on Saffira. The war ended with the total defeat of the Northern Cause. After it lost in conventional warfare, the Frenntolic alliance conducted a drawn-out guerrilla resistance, a disastrous strategy that resulted in the further destruction of the military and much of the civilian population through battle casualties, hunger and diseases. The guerrilla war lasted 14 months until Lord Frenntolic was killed in action by Kymurian forces in the Battle of Lomarda in the winter of 737KF. Background Since the unification of Panguilla under King Huw seven centuries before, the regions north of the Kymurian Heartland had maintained a distinct difference in culture and style. Though nominally under Kymurian rule, many areas were in effect ruled by local lords and sovereigns, some of whom held extraordinary amounts of wealth and resources. The most powerful of these rulers was Lord Ranault Frenntolic, who controlled an enormous fiefdom comprising much of the city of Dannenholm, the profitable agricultural lowlands surrounding it, and large tracts of mountain land, from which some 64% of all essential metals in Panguilla flowed. Arguably one of the most powerful men on the continent, Frenntolic desired to increase his influence in Saffira, possibly with the intent of taking the Saffiric Throne like his ancestor, Prince Oberon of Dannenholm did. The other main powerhouse outside of Kymuria proper was the Realm of the River Lords, ruled by a succession of Thanes. The War Begins The first action of the war was taken when Frenntolic troops seized all Kymurian forts in the north, and past the border. Practically all of these forts had been mothballed, and the skeleton garrisons that remained put up no resistance to the occupiers. Olsra Campaign Frenntolic took the initiative in the first stage of the war by launching the Olsra campaign. A plan he and his generals devised the previous month. It was part of the chosen Frenntolic grand strategy that emphasised keeping the war in Kymurian lands, to avoid destruction in the north and maintain civilian morale. While the Kymurians were still rallying the bulk of their armies, Cyroth An-Bagranthar ordered the commander of the Olsra area, Baron-General Maitland, to dig in around the ridges of The Olsra Bastion, and to attempt to slow the Frenntolic advance with diversionary attacks. This order was somewhat divorced from reality, however, as Maitland only had 40,000 men under his command. Only 25,000 were even regular soldiers. The rest were simply local men and militia. He immediately had his subordinates construct makeshift trenches and earthworks, but did not attempt any skirmish or counter-advance to Frenntolic because of the dire situation. His men faced a well-armed and determined force of over 190,000. To supplement the command structure, Maitland called 300 retired soldiers and officers out of retirement to fill lower command roles. The largest issue for Maitland, however, was that the fortress of Olsra had been left mothballed for nearly three centuries, and, as such, the walls facing the oncoming Frenntolic attack were in ruins. The ones facing inward to wards the rest of Kymuria however, were in a fine condition. Meaning that if the area was captured, it would be extremely difficult and costly to take back. As the north-side scrap fortifications were nearing completion, scouts reported the Frenntolic army a half-days march away at camp. Many of Maitland's subordinates suggested that now was the time to launch Cyroth's expected attack, however, he stuck to his purely defensive strategy. Maitland was convinced that the battle was an extremely predictable loss. He sent a letter back to the capital requesting an immediate withdrawal to try and prevent such a defeat. While it is not certain, it is widely believed that he never received a reply. Maitland was unaware that Cyroth was merely trying to buy time for a proper mobilisation of his regular armies. Maitland's troops stood-to at their fortifications on the morning of the attack. He placed the bulk of the 25,000 regulars in his centre, since it was the direct route to the fortress. The north-west approaches to the position, over flat ground, were held by 9,000 of the more astute levies under General Bosthus Fargur, and the right flank by any remaining troops. This was the obvious weak spot, however it was faced by rough, uneven and marshy terrain, making an assault awkward, if not downright risky. An hour before the battle, three battalions of cavalry arrived as reinforcements. Maitland placed these on the left flank (The approaches) due to the flat ground there. The first Frenntolic units to arrive were the I, IV, and V Corps of the army. (The Grand Frenntolic Army was divided into 5 Corps of around 38,000 men each.) II and III Corps were supposed to take part in the battle but Frenntolic, upon realising the dire situation of the Kymurian troops, held them in reserve. He placed his command position on Maygar Hill, which overlooks Olsra. The battle began when Frenntolic ordered his cavalry to maneuver across the approaches and ensure the Kymurian cavalry stayed put. He then ordered the two "Mountainmen" regiments to attack the militia stationed across from the inhospitable ground on Maitlands right flank, his overall plan being to weaken the Kymurian centre by turning their flanks, then enveloping the army in a pincer movement. Not having the numbers to fill his flanks with troops from his centre, Maitland could do little but watch as the Mountainmen, who favoured pickaxes, spades and other mining equipment over more conventional weapons, butchered their way through the Kymurian right flank. Frenntolic then ordered his cavalry to charge the Kymurian cavalry to keep them occupied, allowing his infantry to attack the approaches. Before long, Maitland's levies were wavering and the centre was soon to be encircled. In a desperate last action, he ordered 10,000 men from the centre to counterattack the mountainmen who were about to assault the now exposed right flank of the regulars. The attack drove the mountainmen back into the scrub, but were soon overwhelmed by III Corps reinforcements and routed. Maitland, realising the pointless slaughter that was about to ensue, took all remaining units and retreated rapidly back towards Saffir. This battle hugely boosted confidence in the Frenntolic Army, and throughout the cause as a whole. Kymurian Counter-Offensive In the daily war-council meetings with his staff, Cyroth An-Bagranthar was adamant that a victory was needed to boost morale and restore faith in the Kymurian Army after the defeat at Olsra. It was decided that the Duke of Caxa should be sent with a new army of 78,000 men, to crush the small army commanded by Thane Geranfarley of 45,000 men, and that had entered the north of Kymuria from the western river region, posing a threat to the entire west coast. The Kymurian advantage, aside from overwhelming numbers, was that half of their forces were armed with sparkmuskets, new ranged weapons that provided a significant firepower asset, yet they remained untested. Under high spirits, the Duke of Caxa's "Army of Gorra" left the south and marched towards the western-river regions, but soon received reports that Geranfarley had moved far closer inland than previously thought, possibly in a move to link up with Lord Frenntolic. Caxa rapidly moved towards the Kingsroad, and, before long received reports that the Frenntolic men had been spotted near the woodland town of Taran. Unbeknownst to Caxa, Geranfarley had deliberately moved to Taran in order to use the terrain to offset Caxa's huge numbers advantage and positioned is army accordingly. He ordered his first "corps" of just 14,000 men to assemble on the plains in front of the town, their small numbers obscured by the trees that stood either side of them. His remaining troops were then scattered into the woodlands around the area, mostly to the flanks of the main roads, so that they would not be discovered early by the Kymurians. Geranfarley was so secretive that he destroyed the records of where his troops were stationed, so that even now, no evidence exists. The main advantage Geranfarley held was that the Kingsroad ended eight miles before reaching Taran, and melted into nine smaller roads that all eventually linked up at Tara. These roads were thin and confusing, and proved endlessly irritating for the heavily armed Kymurians, who were forced to drag their huge wagons of sparkpowder through the overgrown woods. The Kymurian vanguard spotted the Frenntolic "army" around midday, and the entire force surged into attack formation. But before they could, Caxa received a strange and desperate report from the baggage master that his wagons were under assault by several hundred rebel troops. Realising that he may be caught in a trap, Caxa ordered all of his 20,000 reserve to the rear, but this was another mistake that drew him further into Geranfarley's trap. Once there, the reserve found only the empty wagons, and no trace of the force that had supposedly attacked them. In a state of confusion, the reserve commander, Lord Marrinfrey, reported the situation, who personally travelled to the rearguard to inspect the situation himself. It was then that all hell broke loose. Seemingly out of nowhere, 16,000 Frenntolic men rushed into the centre of the Kymurian Army, which had cut itself in two by moving its reserve back so far. The thousands of men who had been waiting in the woodland now rushed forward and encircled the rear and front of the Kymurian army, whilst its commander was stuck between them. Despite far outnumbering their attackers, the Kymurian frontline was the first to crumble, its sparkmuskets proving useless in melee combat, while the swordmen supposed to protect them were trapped in an encirclement of their own. At this point in the battle, it was noted that the fighting disturbed large numbers of forest animals, and large swarms of deer ran from the woods, whilst a quantity of boars began to attack any routing troops. By the early evening, the battle was over. Most of the Kymurian troops had been slaughtered, and their sparkmuskets had been captured. Despite initially wishing to take Caxa alive, after witnessing him lying on the ground, bleeding profusely and screaming abuse at his captors, Geranfarley had him executed there and then. Back in Saffir, Cyroth and the council were in despair. Their last hope was the Army of the Westland, which stood at 200,000 demoralised men. The hope once inspired by their new wonderweapons and numbers advantage was dead. Cyroth realised that the fate of Kymuria now rested directly on the upcoming battle. He decided to move the army away from Saffir and seek battle with Frenntolic directly. For Frenntolic, the situation was just as desperate. If he couldn't totally defeat the Kymurians soon, their capability to resupply and refill their ranks would overwhelm his troops. Upon hearing news of Cyroth moving his troops northward, Frenntolic immediately rushed towards Saffir to meet him. Battle of Grolsi Moor Later that week, Frenntolic launched the Battle of Grolsi Moor. On the left of the I Corps, the II Corps advanced in two columns through the area around Abaro Pass. On the right of the I Corps, the 2nd "Dannenholm Palace" Division advanced towards the torrent that was the Grolsi River. After some initial confusion where forces on both sides ended up in temporarily isolated positions, the Kymurians managed to push the advancing Frenntolic Troops back. By the end of the day, the "Dannenholm Palace" Division fell back to positions around Abaro Pass and the II Corps Columns were driven back to the wild bogs around Grolsi where it and the garrison were surrounded and besieged. For three hours the Kymurians launched wave after wave of attacks against the Frenntolic Troops cut off at Grolsi Bog. By the evening of that day, the bulk of II Corps were still cut off, the fury of the Kymurian attacks was reaching a crescendo, and so Frenntolic anxiously drew up plans for a general withdrawal. There is no way to know what the result would have been if he had attempted to withdraw 70,000 men and 14,000 animals of the I Corps and II Corps down the single road back towards Olsra with the forces of Cyroth and the Kymurians at their rear. By the next morning, the Frenntolic Troops at the Grolsi Bog were relieved by General Senishkov and his two mountainmen brigades, who once again used their array of mining tools to cut a bloody path through Kymurian troops. At this point, Cyroth was at a loss for what to do. His men were tired and had failed to score a major victory, although he ordered his generals to spread the news that they "had saved Saffira," although little did he know that soon he would get the victory he so wanted. Battle of Tayat Although the outcome of Grolsi had been inconclusive, the fact that the Kymurians had failed again to defeat him, and that they had suffered at the hands of his mountainmen again gave Frenntolic a feeling of invincibility, so in order to finally strike a mortal blow to Cyroth, he drew up plans for a dawn attack on the Kymurian Camp a week later at Tayat. The Frenntolic troops attacked in three columns after an SKL-style rocket signalled the attack. General Serossky, with 50,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry attacked the Kymurian left, which was under the command of the Duke of Copa. Gen. Idris Moza, with 7,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry attacked the Kymurian right flank. General Argis Voyle with 20,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry attacked the Kymurian centre. The attack began in the center, where the Kymrians were forced back along with some local Volunteer battalions. On the left of the Kymurian encampment, Captain Emilio Mallet had ordered the construction of a large moat in front of his artillery pieces. When the Frenntolic onslaught reached it, they were in grapeshot range and unable to cross the obstacle. The Frenntolic troops tried to circle the artillery, avoiding the incoming fire, but encountered General Sampaio's 3rd Infantry Division. This unit fought desperately in the muddy terrain though their commander died in the process. At this point, Cyroth had arrived, and ordered his reserves to attack and repelled the Frenntolic centre. On the Kymurian left, the Frenntolic troops forced back the few Kymurian units, almost reaching the Kymurian camp. Cyroth reinforced the lines with various units, finally committing the 2nd Cavalry Division, commanded by General Lord Barreto. The Frenntolic troops continued to attack until they were encircled and annihilated. Lord Frenntolic was told several times that the attack was not going well, but insisted that the Kymurians were on the verge of defeat.. In the Duke of Copa's sector, the Frenntolic cavalry routed the Kymurian cavalry. Soon the battle turned into "a series of charges and countercharges,". The Frenntolic columns continued to attack, but could not overcome the Kymurian firepower. In the words of Colonel Tomasin of the Frenntolic army (a veteran of the battle), "At sunset. the firing was over, the Frenntolic troops being completely defeated, and their army destroyed. The Kymurians had suffered severely also, but they still had an army left. The Frenntolic troops left 30,000 dead on the field; the Kymurians only took some 350 prisoners, all wounded. This was because the Frenntolic troops because the Frenntolic troops would never surrender but, when wounded, fought on till they were killed. 7,000 wounded were taken into the Frenntolic hospitals from this battle, those with slight wounds not going into hospital at all. . . . The Kymurians lost above 18,000 killed and wounded." Frenntolic's army was shattered, and with it most of its morale. However, Frenntolic received news that a Kymurian fleet had attempted to sail up the Huw River and cut supplies from Dannenholm, but had been bloodily stopped at a river fortress known as Han-Maighta. Frenntolic led his army back toward the river and attempted to dig in, leaving a pitifully small rearguard behind him. Battle of Bellaco Realising that the rebels were in retreat, but not entirely sure what had just happened at Tayat, Cyroth ordered the Duke of Copa North with 20,000 men to crush the tail of Frenntolic's force. 20 days after setting out, they came across a line of trenchworks stretching a mile over the Bellaco hill range, which seemed lightly defended. Dr Zavier Morley, the artillery and engineer commander, informed Copa that the rebels could be quickly wiped out by an extended bombardment. Assuming that the enemy positions were to be destroyed, he ordered the advance. The right wing was composed of two columns of Kymurian regulars, the left wing was composed of two columns of volunteers. Once the soldiers had crossed two ditches, and were reaching the top of the wall, they were within reach of the guns; Captain Venetunio, the Frenntolic Commander, ordered the artillery to fire with grape, canister, and shell shot. This inflicted heavy casualties amongst the Kymurian troops who were slowly advancing in dense formations through the muddy terrain. They could not get close to the wall of the trench line, with only 60 making it, who were soon killed. Changing Fortunes: The Second Battle of Taran Although the Battle of Bellaco had been a relatively minor event, it slowed down the Kymurian ability to pursue the rebels north for four months, during which time Lord Frenntolic's forces rapidly declined in strength, largely through desertion and a brutal type of disease known as Herrick Rot, a Zeor affliction which caused the limbs and tissue of the victim to rot and wither after exposure to certain types of mountain scrub land. He attempted to once again rally his men at Olsra, where he remained for the duration of that spring, but found the crumbling fortress unsuitable and so moved north again to a village atop a ridge known as Eshing. He planned to dig a 40 mile long trench network, fortified with artillery emplacements, and so to fulfil this plan, he ordered the forced conscription of what would eventually amount to some 800,000 ordinary citizens to build, dig and guard this monstrous project. The Kymurian army, now some 300,000 strong, meandered it's way north slowly, taking a detour westward to engage the 20,000 men of Thane Geranfarley's River-land Army, which continued to hold it's intricate positions around Taran. Cyroth, not willing to repeat the mistakes of the Duke of Caxa, ordered the Taran forest bombarded with a newly-invented substance called Shexis Lye, a chemical agent which caused severe burns and breathing difficulties. The Thane, who had begun this war during the age of the sword and crossbow, and was now facing mortar-powered poison gas, desperately attempted a controlled retreat north, but his army was either dying amongst the brambles of Taran Wood or defecting to the Kymurian Forces in droves. Once the toxic mist had cleared somewhat, Cyroth ordered the Plains Light Cavalry to sweep the woodland and take Geranfarley alive. The Thane himself was found fording a stream with a priest, both were captured and returned to Cyroth. In the north, Frenntolic was growing increasingly paranoid and manic, he had vast quantities of makeshift weapons brought to Eshing Line and began to arm the peasants he had forced there with them. Despite the forced nature of these acts, the peasants grew increasingly fanatic and willing to die for the Frenntolic cause, and, as they saw it, defending the north from Kymurian tyranny. Upon receiving news of Thane Geranfarley's death, Frenntolic ordered his son, Hancar Frenntolic, to raise a small army in the north-western areas to ensure the loyalty of the now leaderless river-lands and reinforce the "in the air" western flank of the war. Sacking of Tallavinov The city of Tallavinov was, at the time, the regional capital and most powerful city of the northeastern region, dating back to the ancient periods. However, because it had originally been built as a bastion against hostile northern tribes, with an open road leading directly into it from the south, there was little the inhabitants of the city could do. Many thousands fled east and were conscripted into the remains of the Frenntolic army, or were brutally policed by the new Army of Resistance led by Hancar Frenntolic. The only remaining authorities in the city were the Privy Council of Thane Jobe (Geranfarley's brother and successor.) who commanded a small force of knights and militia, plus the town watch, and the local representatives of Angelican and Oshary Churches. Convening at the Angelican Assumptive Cathedral in downtown Tallavinov, both religious orders negotiated separate neutrality clauses with Saffira, via Angelican networks, and would play no further role in the northeastern theatre. Thane Jobe and his council initially decided to abandon the ancient city, but received a communication from Marshal Hancar Frenntolic that reinforcements from the new Army of Resistance were on their way, and that the council would now take orders exclusively from the Frenntolics, with the eponymous Lord having raised himself to "Grand and Supreme Ruler of the North," while making his son Hancar "Marshal of the West, Supreme and Unchallenged." Thane Jobe chose to obey these orders on the grounds that reinforcements would arrive, however, it is unlikely Hancar Frenntolic had any intention of doing so, and merely required the city to delay the oncoming Kymurians. By now, Cyroth had moved his main army to prepare an assault on Eshing Line, and left a detail of 75,000 men under Baron-General Maitland to deal with the western theatre. As the Autumn progressed, Maitland began a final march towards the city, receiving no serious resistance. Thane Jobe, realising the war was generally lost, and that no Frenntolic forces would arrive, officially surrendered the region to Maitland in the Thane's Palace on the day he entered the city with the rest of his army. Maitland issued no orders regarding the conduct of his troops, and allowed them to loot all but the churches freely. (Although several Oshary churches record the silver batons of their Leo Oshar Statues as missing that night.) He had no need to live from the city, since a flow of barges delivered a surplus of food and supplies via the river. As soon as the troops entered the city, they began looting all the buildings, beginning with the grand palaces of the aristocratic families of the capital. The furniture of the government ministries, the Palace of the Thanes, and historic monuments belonging to the Thane Guilds were also looted. Through the streets were rows of objects and furniture waiting to be loaded on ships bound for Saffira and the South; When sailing, the boats were loaded to the top loaded with objects looted in Tallavinov. It should also be noted that in the 760s, Cyroth returned some of the "trophies of war" captured, but most of the looting in Tallavinov could never be recovered. The Siege of Eshing Line Just as Baron-General Maitland sped north towards Tallavinov, Cyroth began lumbering his vast army of 220,000 men northwards to meet Lord Frenntolic's vast earthwork, known as The Eshing Line, a 40-mile wide network of trenches and dugouts, emplaced with crude sparkpowder cannons and well-stocked with sparkmusket-armed infantry. The exact number of Frenntolic troops is difficult to pinpoint, but there must have been upwards of 200,000, the last time there would be any kind of numerical balance between the two sides. Eshing Line: A checkmate? Eshing Line had become a sort of city unto itself, there were good living quarters for Frenntolic and his staff, vast encampments and supply sites, makeshift churches and emplacements. Although some buildings were made of simple wood or adobe, more elaborate structures were put up as well. There was even a local newspaper, Nook, directly edited by Frenntolic, which was published at Headquarters and distributed among troops, often featuring cartoons and sketches. Paper was in short supply, so editions of ''Nook ''were often recycled into other things. The line was built partially along the Sroat River, which gave it a useful network of marshes and waterways, but also left it exposed to naval attack by the Kymurians. Cyroth was provided with a crude observation balloon by the Saffiric Guild of Mages, but it saw only limited and experimental use. The Assault At first, Cyroth planned a frontal attack, but was convinced otherwise by his staff. Instead, they planned a three-pronged assault, an infantry assault on barges through the western marshes, a naval attack from the river behind the line, also with a contingent of infantry, and a frontal attack to finish off the Frenntolic resistance. Four months of low-level attrition later, this attack was realised. Cyroth quietly left the camp on the fourth day of the month of rain and boarded the ship ''Dragonfly, ''which would lead the swamp attack. He sailed out towards the sea, then attempted to take the Frenntolic troops by surprise, however, a chain boom had been installed by the Lord across the narrow entrance point to the swamps, and several floating barrels of sparkpowder, known as Devilboxes, had been set into the swamp. These would ignite if hit by a ship, which several of the Kymurian vessels did, slowly sinking into the marsh. The main problem with the marsh attack was that it came before the main bombardment, leaving Cyroth and his men stranded, fighting a riverine war against superior-armed enemies, however, using their ship-mounted cannon they eventually pushed ashore after many hours of bloody combat, leaving ten-thousand dead on either side. The chain boom remained intact however, meaning any inland advance would be unable to take supplies from the river, and would have to be carried by hand into the marshes. Cyroth tried to rally an attack on the winchhouse where the chain's operations lay, but was repulsed by a light cavalry attack. Next, the belated river-assault began, with the squadron of frigates taking heavy fire from the shore batteries, some of which were commanded directly by Frenntolic, but the Kymurian ships had a favourable wind, and soon outflanked the batteries before unleashing a bombardment of their own, scattering the peasant artillery crews and leading Frenntolic to withdraw to his personal camp, commanding the rest of the battle via the map table. Kymurian infantry soon swarmed onto the battery-sites, capturing the makeshift cannons and turning them inwards towards the rest of the Frenntolic army. At this point, some of Frenntolic's staff realised that, should a retreat be necessary, only the narrow, uneven and unfinished "Prince Ferdinand" section of the Kings Highway would lead back towards Dannenholm, leaving them effectively stranded. The Lord himself was still optimistic, however, and ordered an attack to retake the swamps and possibly kill or capture Cyroth. The attack began well, taking the exhausted Cyroth by surprise, but the attack was soon called off when the 90,000 men of the main Kymurian force began their assault driving up onto the ridge with remarkable speed and finesse, crushing the Frenntolic army in their now useless trenches. Lord Frenntolic ordered a retreat and sped off towards his capital, leaving some 100,000 leaderless and confused men to slowly die under the Kymurian advance, lost and trapped in the fortifications. Siege of Dannenholm Has it's own page here. The Cold Campaign Frenntolic had, by now, snapped out of his depressive mood and took on a bold and defiant mantle. He believed that the Kymurian armies would be destroyed by civilian uprisings trying to occupy the north, and that he simply had to lay-low in the far northern peninsular. Each of the increasingly remote towns Frenntolic and his "government" passed either reacted with cheer or indifference, and when he reached the cliffside town of Dexinton